Marine angiosperms have a worldwide distribution among estuarine and shallow marine ecosystems. Their ecosystems are considered as fisheries nurseries, nutrient retention, erosion control and carbon sequestration systems. Coastal meadows are often affected by both anthropogenic and natural stress and are regarded as threatened and endangered. Assessment of the interplay between plant plasticity and environmental adversity is crucial for comprehending their physiology and predict changes in species distribution and biodiversity.

Straightforward aims:

Scale based study of phenotype and of response-tolerance of three marine angiosperms from different habitats to temperature, light and salinity under controlled conditions.

Microscopic exploration of effects on cellular structure under various stress factors.

Comprehension of the molecular mechanisms involved at K+ acquisition, Na+ efflux and other pleiotropic responses.

Comparative analysis of specific cDNA libraries.

Identification and quantitation of osmolytes with osmoprotective activity.

Forecasting alterations in their distribution, abundance and diversity (climate change).

Potential use of species as bioindicators of coastal and transitional waters.

Accomplishment of these aims will contribute to the understanding of the physiological and ecological status of the main seagrass species in Hellenic Seas, under environmentally stressful conditions. The implementation of innovative molecular and biochemical approaches will facilitate the assessment of seagrass response mechanisms related to tolerance acquisition under abiotic stress.

The accumulated scientific background will contribute to future studies related to adaptation of tolerance mechanisms in stress conditions of endemic species. A long term perspective could be the potential exploitation of the produced information targeting genetic improvement of economically important terrestrial cultivated species.